Vo'^- ^^^-j Reviews. 47 



a&, against i.Sj lor a. hiiuill fragment), and not to excuse it, as lie 

 perhaps intended. He uses capital letters to enipliasi/,e the point 

 that the B.O.U. " List " uses NINETY genera containing one 

 species each on that small area, but 236 of the 279 genera (84 per 

 cent.) of his halfdist proper are monotypic for a continent, euid 

 onl\- () genera (.; with j si)ecies each, 2 with 4, and i with 7 species) 

 contain moro- than 2 species each. 



At the end of the list Mr. Mathews gives a ta.l)k' of the authors 

 responsible for the names of Australian species. He is credited 

 with a modest 5, while Gould has 65. Latham ^&, Linne 32, 

 Gmehn 30, Temminck 24, Vieillot 16, and Gray ir. Had Mr. 

 Mathews hsted the generic authors the effects of his splitting 

 would possibly have been more apparent to him. The chief 

 authors so responsible arc Mathews 52 (all sphtting — practically 

 no new forms), Prince Bonaparte (1856) 31, Reichenbach (1852) ig, 

 Brisson (about 1760) 15, Gould 15, Kaup (1844) 15, and Linne 12, 



Priority has recently caused considerable stir in ornithological 

 circles in y\ustralia. It is surprising to find that only 4 generic 

 names of purely Australian birds are concerned. The " Official 

 Check-hst " uses CatheUiriis, Swainson, 1837, for Alectuni, Latham 

 (disputed), 1824, tlie Brush-Turkey ; RhynchcBa, Cuvier, Dec, 

 1816, for Roslvatiila, Vieillot, April, 1816, the Painted Snipe ; 

 Chlamydochcn, Bonaparte, 1856, for Chenonetta, Brandt, 1836, 

 the Maned Goose ; and Calopsitta, Lesson, 1835, for Leptolophns, 

 Swainson, 1832, the Cockatoo-Parrot. Cacatiia (the White 

 Cockatoo) and Drouiaius (the Emu) are spelt Kakntoe and 

 Dromicciits respectively. Of 20 specific names in question 

 through priority, 11 of the older names were quoted by Gould 

 in his synonymy. Gould changed two in his " Handbook," 1865, 

 though the " Official Check-list " followed the older " Birds of 

 Australia," completed in 1848. It is also a surprise to find that 

 only 3 specific names of purely Australian birds are involved under 

 "priority" — those for the Brown Quail, the Native, Companion 

 (Crane), and the Glossy Black Cockatoo. Priority, when it can 

 apply to only 1.8 per cent, of the genera and less than i per cent, 

 of the species, ceases to be of importance as a disturbing factor. 



Sub-species, the most noticeable feature of Mr. Mathews's 

 Reference and 1913 "Lists," are not conspicuous in this "List." 

 They are placed with the synonyms under the bincjmial species 

 heading, one line being usually devoted to each. This is a simple 

 method of disposing of a difficult phase of the list, and one that 

 the " Check-list " Committee could follow with advantage. Mr. 

 Mathews adds : — " The number of sub-species accepted must 

 always be a variable one, according to the material available, and 

 to a certain extent upon the personal idiosyncrasy of the worker, 

 even if such he ciuiti- unprejuchced in the matter." It is hoped 

 that Mr. ]\lathews will apply this fair, broad-mindi'd view when 

 the matter of the mnni)er of genera is being finally si'tfled. It is 

 hoped further that the second part of Mr. Mathews's new list will 

 be available at an early date. 



